NASA Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) Selections Posted

The investigations recommended by NASA for 2014 carbon monitoring system (CMS) funding can be accessed here. The original call for proposals can be accessed here.

FROM NASA HQ, Washington DC:

NASA Science Mission Directorate
Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences – 2014
NNH14ZDA001N A.7 - CMS

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) solicited proposals for investigations to advance the development of a carbon monitoring system (CMS). Emphasis is directed towards continued development of CMS pilot studies and acquisition, field sampling, quantification, and development of prototype Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) system capabilities. Data from airborne or spaceborne remote sensing is required as an essential element in all carbon monitoring investigations. Successful applicants will become members of the NASA CMS Science Team (ST). NASA requested proposals for the following types of prototyping, research, and scoping activities for carbon monitoring:

• Studies using commercial off-the-shelf technologies (COTS) to produce and evaluate prototype monitoring, reporting, and verification system approaches and/or calibration and validation data sets for future NASA missions, including, but not limited to, monitoring reporting and verification work in support of REDD, REDD+, or SilvaCarbon projects;
• Studies that address research needs to advance remote sensing-based approaches to monitoring, reporting, and verification (e.g., quantification of forest degradation; independent assessment of the accuracy of airborne remote sensing observations of biomass and carbon stocks; use of airborne flux observations and satellite remote sensing, as alternative methods for quantifying net carbon emissions/storage).
• Studies that advance upon, extend, and/or improve the existing CMS products for biomass and flux resulting from NASA’s first phases of CMS pilot studies; such studies may include, for example, product improvements, refined characterization and quantification of errors and uncertainties, and/or preparation and delivery of a mature product for long-term archive at an established NASA DAAC or equivalent data center.

NASA received a total of 71 compliant proposals in response to this NRA and recommended 15 for funding. The total funding to be provided by NASA for these investigations is approximately $14 million over three years.